Sly Stone has died

One story I heard of his influence was that Stevie Wonder did a guest spot in a Sly & the Family Stone gig and could feel the energy of the whole place, heaving.

Took that feeling and with a new record deal giving him creative control did Superstition, Higher Ground and all those classics.

It's hard to be cynical enough about rock history you see on tv, but it's at least plausible that one genius can inspire another, thinking of a Haydn & Mozart kind of thing.

"If You Want Me to Stay" probably my favourite Sly Stone track.

I never got around to listening to his stuff with Funkadelic, maybe today is that day.

Can’t even explain what Sly means to me. Grew up on him, singing with my brother and sister in the back seat. He was summer, he was courage, he was jubilation. And his music still is. RIP.

There's a wonderfully made two-part podcast documentary about Sly Stone and the Family; the documentary focuses on one song but is really a well-told story about the world around Sly Stone: https://500songs.com/podcast/song-175-everyday-people-by-sly...

Sly wasn't just a brilliant performer, singer, and accomplished multi-instrumentalist but a fantastic songwriter and hugely influential producer. He knew his way around music and lost sight of all ways.

For someone not familiar with this culture, i for a moment thought the thread was talking about Sylvester Stallone.

RIP.

Was sly involved in the song superstition?

Everyone should go watch Sly Lives! - The Burden of Black Genius

I became a fan of base ever since "Dance to the Music". Thank you, Sly, for the great music!

RIP King

Please listen to "There's a riot goin on"

Everybody is a star

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-1s2gqDs_U

They’re included in the American experience “funk” documentary.

https://youtu.be/QrgV35cBHVs?si=cPW106BBBUHYABk0?t=28m52s

It’s pretty fun. Late 60s San Francisco “hippie funk.”

"The band released several unheralded albums in the '70s but never reached the height of 1969 again"

That's a questionable take– "There's a Riot Goin On" (1971) and Fresh (1973) are both absolute classics and highly influential

RIP legend!

A man way ahead, and beyond, his time.-

He had to systematically learn to "dumb down" his genius, in order to reach an audience, and systematically, methodically, did so ...

... and, in so doing, defined an era.-

Sly Stone’s story always felt larger than life. Even if you didn’t grow up with funk, chances are you’ve felt his influence in pop, hip-hop, and soul. I first heard “Everyday People” as a kid and didn’t realize how much it laid the groundwork for inclusive music that transcended genre and race.

What hits me the most in this article is how Sly’s genius was both creative and tragic. He broke down barriers by assembling a racially integrated band in the 60s a move that still feels radical even now and he wrote songs that had optimism and social commentary baked in. But he also struggled with addiction and the burdens of fame, which is sadly a story we hear over and over again.

It’s bittersweet to think he’s gone, but also powerful to see how many artists today cite him as a foundational influence. It’s like the roots of a tree that keep growing long after it’s gone. Rest in funk, Sly.